Separator



JOHN T. COSTELLO, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEPABATOB.

Speeication of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Application sied may 22, 191s. serial No. 235,941.

To all 'whom zt may camera.'

Be it known that I, JOHN T. COSTELLO, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsbu'r h, in. the county of Allegheny and State ofennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in separators,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to separators and more particularly to a type ofseparatorw-hich may be used for iltering or separating solids fromliquids, or in turn separating liquids from solids.

The first object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple andeiicient form of filter or separator by which great quantities of solidmatter may be removed from liquids in a shrt'spaceoi time without anymanual labor or external assistance. A further object of my invention isto provide a separa tor wherein theA solids are removed from the liquidsand partially dried before being taken from said apparatus. Still afurther objectoof my invention is to` rovide a ilter for separatingsolids from hquids and collooting the same' without discontinuing the Yoperation `4of the apparatus.

My invention consists, generally stated, in the novel arrangement,construction, and combination of parts as hereinafter more specificallyset forth and described and pari ticularly pointed out in they appendedclaims. 1

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains toconstruct, operate and use my' improved filter, I will describe the samemore ully,.referring to theI accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a side elevation of my im' proved filter and connecting parts,showing some of the same in section.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the main supply compartment showingthe rotating drum therein with part of the same in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the drum showing a part of theperiphery of the same.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the same with the side wall' removed showing apart thereof in section. i

5 is a'longitudinal sectional view of the compressed lair valveemployed.

6 is a partial front view of the reciprocating device used for operatingthe agitator shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 7 is a partial view of the drum showiner a slight modilication.

like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in each of thefigures of the drawlngs. Y As illustrated in the drawings my improvedseparator consists of a supply .tank A, the revolving drum B, and thereservoir C, all of which are' shown in Fig. 1. The tank VA. is open atthe'top and is supplied with a bearing 1 at the center of one side wallof the same, into which the hollow shaft 2 of the drum B is adapted totit and rotate therein. T his hollow shaft 2 o f the drum B extends to,and communicates .with the reservoir C through the opening 3 in thesame. The hollow shaft 2. is provided with suitable stutling boxes 4 toprevent any leakage of air or liquid through the same. The other side ofthe drum B is also provided with a hollow shaft 5 which rotates withinthe housing 6 at the upper end of the pedestal? while the outer end ofsaid shaft is provided with a worm gear 8 which meshes with a suitableworm 9 Jfrom any suitable source of power. This shaft 5 is also providedwith suitable stuiiing boxes 10 to prevent any escape of air or liquidthrough the hollow shaft 5, while a compressed air pipe 11 from anysuitable source of supply passes through said last named hollow shaftand connects with the valve device 12, as hereinafter explained.

The supply tank A is provided with a supplypipe 13 at one end of thesame for supplym the material to be separated.

Secure upon the hollow shaft 5 is an eccentric 14 which is connected tothe agitator 15 by suitable rods 16 and 17 and said agitatoris providedwith a series of fingers 18 for agitating the material M in the tank A.The

reservoir C is provided with a pipe 19 throughwhich air is drawn, thuscreating a suction causing the' particles of solids in the material M.to adhere to the drum B as later explained. The reservoir C is alsoprovided with a pipe 20 for carrying off the superfluous liquidcontained therein, and this' pipe,

if necessary may be provided with ineans for drawing the liquid from thereservoir C. At one side of the tank A and at a position above the lineof the material M is a leveling plate 21, while at vthe other side ofsaidJank isv a cutting member'22 below which is an endless belt 23 aslater explained.v

Allt

municate with a series of chambers 26 within said drum, and each of saidchambers 1s provided with an inwardly extending pas- @and the drum B issageway 27 which has an opening 28 on one side of the same forcommunicating at certain intervals with the valve device 12 as' laterexplained. The periphery of the drum B is completely covered, with acanvas or textile material 29 and this in turn is completely coveredpreferably with flannel or felt material 29 and the wholel secured-thereon by means of wire or steel bands 30.

The valve device 12 which is connected to the end of the compressed airpipe 11 may be of any desired construction and the type shown consistsof a face portion 31 having an opening which is the same size and shapeasthe opening 28 in the passage'- A Way'27 leading from the chambers 26of the drum B and is provided with a wing 33 on each side o f` saidopening which is sufi iciently long to cover the opening 28 on each sideof the one with which the opening 32 is communicating. This face portion31 is provided with a sliding portion 34 which has a hollow interiorcommunicating with the opening 32 and saidsliding portion fits withinthe end of the compressed air pipe 11 and said connection issuppliedwith a suitable stuiiing box 35. Secured to a position near theend of the compressed air pipe 11 is a bracket 36 which has bolts 37con* necting with each of the wings 33 and coil springs 37 fit aroundsaid bolts and exert pressure between the said bracket and the saidwings so ,as to keep the face portion 31 at its outward position.

`Fig. 7 shows a modification by which if desired, the material canbeslightly pressed by the roller 38 on the supports 39 after leaving theleveler 21. The tension of the vroller 38 can be adjusted by thesetscrew 40.

The operation is as follows The material M to be separated is passedinto the tank A through the supply pipe 13, then rotated `through meansof the worm 9 communicating with the worm gear 8 on the hollow shaft 5.The drum B. will usually be rotated at a .slow speed `but this willdepend upon the size of the separator and the material to lbe separated.During this rotation the air will be drawn from the reservoir C and thehollow shaft 2 and the drum B by means of suction from the pipe 19 whichwill tend to create a vvacuum in thedrum B and thus of my improvedseparator cause the solid matter in the material M to adheretothe'ilannel or felt material 29.

Let us consider the drum rotating in the direction of the arrow X inFig. 2 and con- Sider that portion of drum at the point R entering themixture M in the tank A. At this point the vsuction in the interior ofthe drum will draw the water or liquid through the textile'material 29and the flannel felt 29 into the interior of the drum B causing thesolid matter which may be either mineral, vegetable or animal, to adhereto the fiannel or feltmaterial 29 on the ,periphery of the drum. Thissuction continues until such time asthe drum reaches the position Ywhere the leveler 21 will level the solid matter evenly over the face ofthe drum. As the rotation continues the suction will tend to dry thesolid matter by drawing moisture from the same until the pointconsidered has reached the position Z where the knife orcleaner will cutthe 'solid matter from the flelt or flannel material 29 Where it willdrop onto the endless belt 23 and be carried to any desired point.Immediately after the solid matter has been removed the valve 12 willcommunicate with the opening 28 in the passageway 27 immediatelyopposite the cleaned portion of the flannel or felt material, thuscutting off the suction from the chamber 26 with which this particularopening 28 communicatesv and compressed air from thel pipe [11 will beA. In this connection the wings 31 on the valve 12 will cover theadjoining openings 28 on each side of the one upon which the compressedair-is being exerted, so that the compressed air will operate on eachopening 28 for the length of time taken for the same to pass.

The suction will be exerted through all the openings 28 at all timeswith the exception of the particularopenings covered by the valve 12.During this process the agitator 15 operated by the eccentric 14 keepsthe solid matter in the bottom of the tankx stirred up so as to preventits accumulating. The liquid which passes into the interior of the tankB will be carried away through the hollow shaft 2 and opening 3 into thereservoir @from whence it will be dra-wnthrough the pipe 20 by anelevation or other suitable means to overcome the vacuum created by thepipe 19.

In the use of the modification shown in Fig. 7 the solid material,after, being leveled at the point will be pressed by the rollerof myimproved separator great quantities of material may be readilyyseparated and the solids dried and collected Without stoppi'ng the drum.

It will be apparent that my improved separator may be used in multipleandthe filtered liquid from the tank C may be passed into another tank BWhere the same process will again take place.

On account of the simplicity of the device there will be a greatreduction in labor, as the apparatus can readily be taken care of by oneman.

My invention will prove of especial value in aluminum plants forseparating',l the bauxite, also in paper mills for separating thepulpfrom the liquids, in salt Works for saving the draining of the saltand handling of the same. My invention will also prove of great value inchemical works for separating the liquid and solid materials and may beused to great advantage to assist in sewage disposal.

lt is understood that I do not limit myself to any of the constructionsshown in the drawings, as various modifications and changes in thedesign, construction, and operation of my improved separatormay beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. A separator comprising a tank into which the mixture to be separatedis passed, a rotatable drum having a porous periphery in said tankpartially` submerged in said mixture, a reservoir communicating with theinterior of said drum and having connected therewith means for creatinga vacuum in said drum, whereby the solids from the mixture in said tankare accumulated on the periphery of said drum and the liquid drawnwithin said drum, means for removing the solids from the periphery ofsaid drum, and means for successively introducing compressed air oncertain portions of said drum to clean the excessy solids there from.

2. A separator comprising a tank `into which the mixture to be separatedis passed, a rotatable drum having a porous periphery in said tankpartially submerged in said mixture, a series 'of non-communicatingchambers around ythe periphery of said drum, a reservoir communicatingwith the interior of' said drum and having connected therewith means forcreating a vacuum in said drum whereby the solids from the mixture insaid tank are accumulated on the periphery of said drum and the liquiddrawn within said drum, means for 4removing the solids from theperiphery of said drum and means engagingv successively With thechambers in said drum whereby compressed air' is introduced in saidchambers to cleanse the excess solids from the periphery of said drum.

ln witness whereof, I, lthe said JOHN T. COSTELLO, have hereunto set myhand inn the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN T. cos'riaLLo.

Witnesses T. B. HUMrHRIEs,

J. RAYMOND boWAsL.

